Automatic base-ball-pitching machine.



B. N. MARTY.

AUTOMAHC BASE BALL PITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, me.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

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GWA/W a5 91.} wmfw B. N. MARTY.

AUTOMATIC BASE BALL momma MACHINE.

APPLICATIONHLED APR. 29,1916; 1

Patentad Jan. 9, 1917.

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AUTOMATIC BASE-lBALL-PITCHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters LPatent.

' Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

Application filed April 29, 1916. Serial No. 94,490.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BARTLEY N. MARTY,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Lakewood, Cuyahoga county,Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticBase-Ball-Pitching Machines; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enableothers skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The object of the invention is to construct in the simplest form a'machine that will hurl a baseball with sufficient speed and at ingpulley of said the same time with a twisting motion approximating thatof a ball thrown by hand.

The machine embodying my invention consists primarily of a grooved wheelor pulley mounted on a shaft supported in a suitable frame, means forholding the ball in contact with the groove of. the wheel while motionis by the revolving of the wheel, and'means for revolving the wheel. Inthe machine shown in the drawings also included means .for regulatingthe height at which the ball is thrown to the batter. In practice thereis also added means. for automatically feeding the balls to the machineas desired.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 isa side elevation of one of mymachines, partially 1n section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view at line II, II, Fig/1. Fig. 3 is afrontelevation with some of the parts shown in section at line III, III,Fig. -1.

A, A, A, A, are the frames for mounting the central shaft B, upon whichis loosely mounted the grooved wheel C.

D is a pulley also loosely mounted on the shaft B, and preferably formedintegral with the hub of the wheel C.

' E is an electric motor for driving the machine and is connected tofeed wires and controllers in the usual manner. F is thedrivtransmitting motion from the pulley D and wheel G.

Pivotally mounted on the shaft B are the frames H, H. The lower ends ofH, Il are joined at it. The upper ends of the frames H, H are joinedtogether by the plate I. Depending from the plate I and extendingdownward members H, H, is a shoe J, whose lower surface is preferablycurved with a radius apmotor to the sion and the being imparted to theball and herein described are.

motor and G is a belt for the amount of spin imparted bet ween the framepivotally connected thereto, the pins 7' 7' project upward through theprovided at their upper ends with the nuts j y' Between the uppersurface of the shoe and the lower surface of the plate I are coilsprings 7' j adapted to force the shoe downward, whilethe springs arekeptin ten position of the shoe adjusted by means of the nuts j .Thegroove in the wheel C may be made round, orv V shaped, or even with afiatbottom, but I prefer the construction-shown in which the groove isprovided with two ruber rings or tires, 0, c securely mounted therein,one at each side of the groove in such manner that the lower surface ofthe ball 0 impinges against each of the rubber tires or rings, while theupper surface of the ball impinges against the lower surface of the shoeJ. his lower surface 1' of the shoe'J, may be of wood or metal, but ispreferably leather, rubber or some similar material that will furnish aslightly yielding contact for the ball. On the side of the ho per K is abracket 70 on hich is pivoted the lever L. A short distance below thebracket is, and also supported in the hopper K, is a push red It alsoattached to the lever L. The lower end of the lever'L is connected tothe rod M at m, the rod' M extending be yond the machine in thedirection in which the ball travels to the point where the operator isstationed. The lower end of'the frame elements ll, .1 1 are connected tothe rod /t at lfi, this rod also extending forward to the point wherethe operator is stationed.

The direction of the ball may be controlled by grooving the shoe J andhaving the surface of the wheel flat or by groovin both the shoe and thewheel and still be within my invention. shoe mafy be increased ordiminished as may be desired, it being found that the greater length ofshoe and tact between the shoe and the ball increases to the ball.

The operation of the device is as follows: A suitable number of ballsare placed in the hopper K, the lowest one being'retained in itsposition by the slight incline la in the consequent longer 0011- plate Iand are I The length of. the

bottom of the hopper. The operator then turns on the current setting themotor in motion and; revolving the wheel C, the upper surface thereofturning to the right, Fig.

i speed of the motor is controlled in the ordinary manner so as to pitcha. fast or slow ball as may be desire-cl. The operator then rolls therod actuating the lever L and surface being carried forward at a morerapidrate by its contact with the rings 0, c of the wheel C. In thismanner the ball "own from the wheel C in the direcarrow shown in Fig. 1,is caused upon its axis in a direction contrary. to the rotation of thewheel C. This rotation of the ball is similar to that imported by a,pitcher in throwing an up shoot and causing the ball to maintain itsflight to a. greater extent than if its rotation were in the oppositedirection. In addi-- tion to suchcontrol of the trajectory of the I ballas the operator has through regulating the spced of the motor, theheight at which it is delivered to the batter is also controlled bytheoperator by controlling the point at which the bull leaves the wheelThis is accomplished by shifting the shoe J to the left or to the right,Fig. 1, by changing the position of the frame elemenls H, H, which inturn are controlled by the lever h extending to the operator. If it isdesired to throw a low ball the shoe J is shifted to the right,

rectiori to throw a high ball.

In the event it is desired to make a machine to throw theball with topspin and thereby to pitch a drop, the shoe will be placed at the bottomof the wheel. and the motion of the wheel reversed.

Fig. 1. while it is shifted in the opposite di- I have described myinvention in that form which best embodies it, but it is obvious thatthe machine may be driven by any described form of power, that thegroove in tlie wheelC may be of any desired form or that the surface ofthe wheel may be fiat and the lower surface of the shoe J may be groovedor made V shaped and so accomplishtlle purpose of my invention, but allof these modifications are claimed to be within th'e scope of thisinvention. Also the framo of the shoe 5, the method of its adjustmentand the materials oi wlnch. it is made or with which it maybe lined maybe modified or changed and still be within my invention. l i

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A baseball pitching machine, the combination of a wheel, a frame inwhich said wheel is rotatably mounted, a shoe mounted adj accnt to thecircumference of said wheel and in position to hold the ball against thesurface of the wheel, and means for revolv ing said wheel, whereby aball placed be. tween said wheel and shoe will be thrown in thedirection in which the wheel is revolved.

2. In a baseball pitching machine the combination of a grooved wheel, aframe in which said wheel is rotatably mounted, a shoe mounted adjacentto the circumference of said wheel in position to hold the ball againstthe grooved surface of the wheel, and means for revolving said wheel,whereby a ball placed between said wheel and shoe will be thrown in thedirection in which the wheel is revolved.

said rings of yielding material, and means.

for revolving said wheel whereby a ball placed between said wheel andshoe will be thrown in the direction in which the wheel is revolved.

4:. In a baseball pitching machine the combination of a wheel, a framein which said wheel is rotatably mounted, a shoe adjustably mountedadjacent to the circumference of said wheel in position to hold the ballagainst the surfaceof the wheel, and means for revolving said wheelwhereby a ball placed between said wheel and shoe will be thrown in thedirection in which the wheel is revolved.

5. In a baseball pitching machine the combination of a grooved wheel, aframe in which said wheel is rotatably mounted, a shoe adjustablymounted adjacent to the circumference of said wheel in osition to holdthe ball against the groove surface of the wheel, and means forrevolving said wheel whereby a ball placed between said wheel and shoewill be thrown in the direction in which the wheel is revolved.

6. In a baseball pitchin machine the combination of a wheel Suits 13mountedupon a shaft, a frame for supporting said shaft, an inner framealso mounted on said shaft, a shoe mounted on said inner frame adjacentto the circumference of said wheel in position to'liold the ball againstthe surface of the wheel, means for adjusting said inner frame and meansfor revolving said wheel, whereby a ball placed between said wheel andshoe will be thrown in the direction in which the wheel is revolved, andthe height at which the ball is delivered to the batter frame.

1 1321 1). isassimii pitching TY" 7, he mm: 1151 41021 of s, grcmved We5 sm': My

e batter i'nay be contioiied.

i'ilii pitching mm? ihs (msuimi iy mom w: on a in 13. frame and havingii grosve \v". sings of yieldng" nmisxrizfl. 0 impinge 21 inst this bai29 mm frame :iisa mmmized on said sim, i :1 shoe mounted on said inner:imms ad acent its fire. CU'CUET C'FQHCQ of mid Wili in pos 10 hum bailagainst said rings a.

1'10 m5, means :HijUSfiBg I and means ier 0min i whee; is I'JVOiVL/ oi:the h 1 CORiLIMiBQ.

2513f wi eei su'iasbiy mouni smut, imme 1m sw mming said; an, inns?frame al o inmmtex'i an said :1 sizes sdiusszsiiiy mm d an said whichthebail. is

s. pitching machine she caminner frame adjacent in the circumference of,iid when! and in position to 1mm vQthe ball against the surface of likeheel, means for adjusting said inner i IiHDG; m1 means for revoking saidwheel, whereby abail placed 49 betwseii said whee? and shoe wiHbe.thrm'vn I in the direction in which the whee revalved, and the heightwhich the ball is deiiversd t0 bz'siiter may be controlled.

10. In a bfiiiP/hfin pitching machine the :zomivinatio-n 01'? a wheelsuimbiy mounted upon a shaft and having; a circumferential gi'oov's withrings of yielding materia to impinge against the ball, a frame forsuppmting said shni'i, an inner frame aiso 50 mounted on said shaft, .2shag mounfiisd on said inns? fiuime adjacentto she circumference of saidWheel in position to hold the ball against the grams. the Wheel meansfor shifting the position 6:? said inner frame anci the shoe whereby611% point at which the bail lsaves ihs Wheel may be alterecl, and meansfor revciving said Wheel, whereby a bail piscsd between saiii wheel andshoe will be thrawn iii the dirction in which the wheel is rsvolved andthe height :12 which it is deiiversci as the batter may iiecontrol'l'ed.

In Witnes Whsreof I hereunta set my ham-i ki- Cisveisnd, Chic, thisQZ'th day sf April, 1915. V

BART KEY N. MARTY.

n $118 presence 0?? E. I 602mm, E,

